Funding for IT systems allowing pharmacies to carry out the community pharmacist consultation service has been extended until the end of September.

The PSNC said NHS England and Improvement agreed to continue funding it for another six months until September 30 instead of the previous date of March 31.

Funds from the Pharmacy Integration Fund have been provided to fund IT system licences for the CPCS since March last year and contractors were faced with the prospect of having to buy their own IT facilities on March 31.

There will be some relief within community pharmacy that that has now been avoided for the time being and the PSNC said regional NHSE&I teams would provide more details soon in local areas.

However, the PSNC warned contractors will need to get their own CPCS IT system by October 1.

“By that time, we hope that a range of pharmacy IT suppliers, including PMR system vendors, will have been able to develop support for the CPCS, so that community pharmacy contractors have a choice of potential IT solutions to support the provision of the service,” the negotiator said.